Reticulated Giraffe

Reticulated giraffes, sometimes called the Somali giraffe, are among the tallest mammals in the world. They are sometimes considered a subspecies of the Northern giraffe. Their long necks sometimes become a hindrance for them when they are at watering holes, as they have to spread their legs considerably to make their mouth reach the water. They can drink around 18 gallons of water in one go.

Distribution

Habitat

They live in seasonal floodplains, savannahs, woodlands, and rainforests.

Reticulated Giraffe Images

Reticulated Giraffe Habitat

Behavior

Reticulated giraffes live in herds with up to 10 to 20 individuals. This may increase depending on food availability.

They are at their most active during the morning and evening.

They sleep while standing on their feet during the night.

They mainly feed by browsing throughout the day.

Diet

They eat more than 100 different species of plants. Acacia remains their favorite. Sometimes, they also feed on the carcasses of antelopes, primarily chewing on the dried bones to get calcium.

Reticulated Giraffe Pictures

Reticulated Giraffe

Mating & Reproduction

Their breeding season falls between May and August. Males engage among themselves in a ritual known as necking, wherein two individuals swing their necks at each other, and the last giraffe standing wins the mating rights with the female. They also use the horns (called ossicones) at the top of their heads to ram each other.

After a gestation period of around 450 days (15 months) a single calf is born.

Life-cycle

Calves are about 6 feet tall when they are born and can weigh around 200 pounds. They gain the ability to stand up within an hour after birth and start feeding on their mother’s milk. Female offspring reach sexual maturity when they are about 4 years old, while male reticulated giraffes attain gusto much later when they are 10.

Reticulated Giraffe Mother and Baby

Reticulated Giraffe Baby

Lifespan

They usually live for around 25 years in the wild.

Sounds & Communication

They communicate with each other through bellows, hisses, snores and grunts. They also use an infrasonic sound, which is inaudible to humans.

Adaptations

The long necks are believed to be the result of the fact that only individuals with the longest necks get the mating rights.

Their long legs help them to run at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.

Reticulated giraffes are ruminants as their stomach is composed of four chambers. Food passes through the first chamber and water goes directly into the second. The food is digested in part and when the giraffe is not eating during the day, this fermented concoction, known as cud, is regurgitated and chewed on to further break it down, before sending it to the third and fourth stomachs to further break it down for excretion.

Predators

They are preyed upon relatively rarely because of their long necks helping to spot threats from afar, but lions sometimes prey on juveniles, as do crocodiles and spotted hyenas.

Reticulated Giraffes

Reticulated Giraffe Pattern

IUCN Conservation Status

The IUCN lists the reticulated giraffe under their ‘Vulnerable’ category. Humans pose the biggest threat to reticulated giraffe populations as they are routinely hunted for the skin and hair. Conservation efforts are, however, underway to ensure that this species does not need to be classified as endangered.

Interesting Facts

Reticulated giraffes are among most commonly seen in zoos, along with the Rothschild giraffe.

It is estimated that there are around 8,500 reticulated giraffes in the wild.